Nonglare reflector



Aug. 29, 1939.

, s. B. HAYDEN NONGLAIRE REFLECTOR.

Filed May 2 1938 IN VEN TOR.

AT roRN Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ,NONGLAREREFLECTOR Silas B. Hayden, Seattle, Wash. ,Application May 2, 1938,Serial No. 205, 08

4 Claims.

This. invention relates to reflectors for nonglare lamps used for motorvehicle headlights.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a cheaply andsimply constructed device with high efiiciency for preventing allobjection- .able .upward glare from car headlights, and at the same timeto preserve and utilize the full power and efficiency of all lightemitted from the headlight lamps.

.a-a Aparticular object is to provide a reflector plate obliquelymounted in front of a lighting filament or othersource of light forconcealing the .same from the front View and for reflecting allobjectionable lines of light upward and the majority of them backward aswell against another reflecting surface as within an automobileheadlight reflector, which light is to be thence directed forward anddownwards for illuminating the roadway.

With these and other objectives to be hereinafter shown, I haveillustratively exemplified my invention by the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the interior of a headlight reflector ofthe ordinary automobile and light bulb in section, with a reflectorplate within the bulb together with diagrammatic lines to indicate.direction of rays of light.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevaton of a bulb in section and a detailof a reflector plate.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a light bulb in section, and showing areflector plate and side supports therefor, taken on lines 3-3 of Figure2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the reflector plate.

Figure 5 is another embodiment of my invention showing a light bulb insection with the front thereof indented for a plate seat and a reflectorplate mounted thereon.

Like numbers on the different figures represent like parts. 6 representsthe reflector of any ordinary headlight. 6 represents the reflectingsurface of the said reflector for projecting rays of light forward andoutward therefrom. 1 represents an ordinary lamp base within an ordinarylamp socket I. 8 represents the outside walls of the bulb forillumination which may be of glass of any desired color, but preferablytransparent.

9 represents a neck of glass or suitable insulat ing material forsupporting the ordinary wire or lighting filament 9'.

[ represents generally my reflector plate for preventing upward glareand for utilizing the full power and efficiency of light emitted byfilament or other source of light. This plate is preferably disposedwithin the light bulb with its face in an oblique position across theupper portion thereof. Said plate is preferably supported by wires H atthe top and lower sidewires l2 and 13 which are extended from the neck9. My preferred form for this plate is shown in Figures l to4 as asegment i of a cone. The base 14 thereof is located outward from the.filament and the apex I4 inward and adjacent to the filament. Areflector face it is preferably sloped outward and upward from thefilament for reflecting the rays of light that are emitted from thelamp. The lower flat edge or bottom I8 is positioned preferably slightlybelow the center I! or axis of both the outside reflector and of thebulb, and approximately opposite the lower edge of the filament asindicated by line 18. Said face I of said plate directs the rays oflight from the filament or other source of light upwards and themajority of them backwards as well, and upon the reflecting surface 6'of the said automobile reflector 6, wi him the band or field indicatedby the imaginary line limits I9. This reflecting surface 6, in turn thenprojects the full force of such light rays forward and slightly downwardin directions as indicated by lines and within the area indicated bysaid lines 20. Said rays so reflected within said field is being therays which would otherwise be projected at an elevation that wouldstrike in the eyes of an oncoming driver of another car. The position ofthe reflector plate is such that the incandescent filament is concealedfrom the eyes of the oncoming driver. The remaining rays of light fromthe lamp not affected by my plate, impinge upon the reflecting surface6' and are thereby projected forward as indicated by lines 2! and 22 inthe ordinary manner.

The lamps may be constructed by first assembling the reflector plate Inand wires, ll, 12 and I3 with the neck 9 within the side walls of thebulb shown best in Figs. 1 and 2. The front wall or cap of the bulb onwhich the numeral 8 appears in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is afterward afiixedand fused to the front margin of the side walls, along the line 33 Fig.2, in the manner understood by those skilled in the art of lampbuilding.

While I have shown my reflector plate as a section of a cone with curvedface, my invention also includes the use of reflectors with other formswhich may have one or more flat or plain faces and other variations. Forthe purpose of illustration, I have shown my plate as suspended by wiresinside of the bulb, but in some cases, I refer to use a different formas shown in my Figure 5. In this construction, the bulb 8 is providedwith an indentation in the upper portion of the front end thereof asshown by triangular line 23. Within this indentation may be mounted arefl ctor plate 24 which may be of similar construction as thatpreviously described as placed within the bulb. In some cases, insteadof affixing the plate within this indentation, I may cover the face ofthe formation provided by the indentation with quicksilver or some othersuitable material to appear as said 24 for providing a reflector. Thelower inner edge of said indentation is preferably positioned slightlybeneath and in front of the front end of the filament or other source oflight.

It will thus be seen that by the use of my reflector plate, positionedsubstantially as described, that all of the .light produced from saidfilament or other source of light is projected upward and mostlybackward to be re-refiected forward for illumination without loss, andthat none of the light rays, whether direct, reflected or re-reflected,are projected upward to produce the blinding and danger-causing glare tooncoming drivers.

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown a light bulb as a sourceof light, but my reflector device is designed for adaptation in front ofany other source of light for headlights, and I do not limit myinvention to the specific construction and arrangement shown in thedrawing, and desire to cover the same broadly within the scope of thesaid claims.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

1. A lamp for automobile headlights, including a source of light, areflector plate mounted within the lamp bulb in front of such source oflight, said plate being provided with a reflecting face in front of andadjacent to the lighting source, the lower edge of said plate positionedat approximately the lower level of said source of light and the face ofsaid plate inclined obliquely upward and outward from the source oflight and adapted so as to intercept a portion of the direct rays fromsuch light and to reflect the same upward and a majority of thembackward, upon the inner reflecting surface of a headlight.

2. In a light bulb for car headlights including a filament centrallydisposed in the rear end of said bulb, a reflector body mounted in frontof said filament with a face at an angle, the lower edge of said bodyapproximately on the same plane as the lower portion of said filament,and the face of said body adjacent to said filament sloping upward andoutward therefrom to conceal said filament from a point in front thereofand to reflect the upper portion of said light from the filament upwardand mostly backward against the inner face of a headlight reflector forforward projection thereby.

3. A lamp bulb for automobile headlights, including a light filament inthe rear end of the bulb, a reflector plate in the front portion of thebulb, said reflector plate comprising approxi mately one half of a conecut by a plane passing through its axis; the flat side of said half conemounted horizontally with its axis on substantially the same level asthe lower margin of the filament, the slant side of said half conefacing toward the light filament and adapted to reflect the upperportion of light rays from the filament upward, sideways and backwardagainst the inner reflecting walls of a headlight, for reflection bysaid last named walls forwardly upon the roadway, without loss of anylight from said filament, and to prevent the glare of any of said raysof light upward toward eyes of drivers of other vehicles.

4. A lamp bulb for automobile headlights including a light filament inthe rear end of the bulb, a reflector plate at the front portion of thebulb, said reflector plate comprising approximately one half of a cone,the flat side of said half cone mounted horizontally with the apexthereof toward the filament and on substantially the same level as thelower margin of the filament, the upper portion of said half cone curvedto conform with the curve of the side walls of the bulb and adapted toreflect the upper portion of light rays from the filament upward andbackward against inner reflecting walls of a headlight, for reflectionby said last named walls forwardly upon the roadway, without loss of anylight from said filament, and to prevent the glare of any of said raysof light upward toward eyes of drivers of other vehicles.

SILAS B. HAYDEN.

